Sunday, May 25, 2014

Today is the day to showcase the Top 10 Favorites!
For me, this proves to be the most challenging part of running this challenge blog. Among 166 entries, each one of them was created with attention, love and skill! Thank you for creating these beauties to share here. One of the panel judges Stephanie (aka, my daughter) is away to Dominican Republic for her PhD field research and is not able to judge this round. Thank goodness, she is coming home in two days!

Virginia: "These cards have "creativity" written all over them. The designs are unique and well thought-out. From faux stitching (Leni) to advanced stitching (Laura, Maria and Jayne), these designers apply their stitching skills brilliantly!"

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Hello! Have you checked out all of the amazing stitching entries? I bet if you take a look at a few of the entries, you will feel so inspired and that you will want to do stitching all over again? Stitching does take a bit of time and planning, but as you know, the result is almost always awesome and satisfying. The love and passion of card-making truly comes through in each stitch that you make!

Today I am highlighting a few special features from the entries. Every time I do the Wrap-Up post, I realize how much work that you put into your entries to make this challenge a success.
With that, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Here is the summary of this challenge:

1. Let the stitching be the star!

These masterpieces truly make the stitching shine! They used the creative and colorful stitched images as the main design element. I think each one of them deserves to be FRAMED, don't you think? Bravo!!

2. Faux stitching rocks!

Need I say more? These clever designs have all the fine stitched touches without all the work! The results can be as simple or complex as you want them to be.

3. Machine-stitching makes the most beautiful borders!

These amazing machine -stitched cards convey the refined and sophisticated touches so perfectly. Stitching helps kick the designs up a huge notch!

4. Messy stitching can be a GOOD thing

The messy stitching provides a funky and playful feel to these lovely and whimsical designs. Kudos to these talented designers who really know to make their stamps and stitching SING!5. Let's MOVE with the stitching!

Who knew that stitching can make the design MOVE and FLOW? The stitched lines draw your attention to assorted directions and curves...genius stroke, I'd say!

So there you have it! I am planning a lot of fun themes for the challenge blog and I know you will love the future challenges to come. Wait till you find out about our upcoming guest designers....Wow! It has been another exciting month here in this blog.

Our Spotlight Feature is coming up on the 25th! We'll then find out who wins the Top Prize $25 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp! Thank you for taking the time to visit!

"Dear family and friends, I've arrived safely in
the Dominican Republic and I'm currently enjoying a little paradise
here! No free wifi anywhere...". Stephanie is working on her PhD project
in DR and will NOT be judging this month's stitching challenge. She will be missed.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

We are in for another treat today! Our guest design Karen Baker has a 2nd project to share with us. Here is part 1 in case you missed seeing it. Do check it out!

Without further ado, let's get right to Keren's project....

From Keren about her project:

Once I’d stamped a portion of the woodgrain
on cardstock, I trimmed it down to make a ‘swing seat’, coloured in with
Promarkers & put the seat onto the cardstock & marked with a pencil
where the seat ended. I then added the ‘rope’ lines with pencil
andpricked them. I stamped the bunnies
on in between the marked lines

Then
I sewed in a graduated colourway using cotton thread. I stamped the sentiment,
stamped out the tails again, coloured them in with Promarkers & added them
& the swing with 3D foam pads. I finished off with sequins.

Top tip from Keren:

1. If you want to avoid ‘covering up’ the back
of the sewing on the inside of the card, do the sewing onto a panel of
cardstock & then attach that to the blank.

2. Do all your stamping first before you begin
the more time consuming stitching. Stamping mistakes can be quickly repeated
whereas you don’t want to have to redo all the stitching because of dodgy
stamping (yup, I’ve done that before!)

Isn't Keren inspiring or what? Let's give her a round of applause for her beautiful work by visiting Keren's blog and leave her some love!? I hope that you are now eager to create something with stitching! We are close to 100 entries and that is simply amazing! You still have lots of time to create, so keep them coming! Wish you all a Happy Mother's Day!

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Hello, dear friends! We have a very special segment for today's post. It gives me great pleasure to highlight a new stamp company today. The reason this stamp company came to my attention is because they have a perfect set for our monthly theme-sewing/stitching. Also, this company was founded by a talented blog friend of mine-Nina Yang!
Let's welcome Nina Yang from Waffle Flower Papercrafts

If you like a stamp feature that goes with the challenge theme, please let me know. I would love to do more of this type of segment in the future (with your encouragement, of course)!
BIG thanks to Nina for sharing her FABULOUS stamps and talent.
You can visit Waffle Flowerhere.edited: The SRM Prize pack winner is Carol. Congrats and enjoy the SRM goodies!

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Hello!! I am excited to have our 2nd guest designer for this month here! Please welcome Keren Bakerfrom the UK! I first knew about Keren through Gallery Idol 2012 and shortly after that, I "discovered" Keren's numerous publications when I took out magazines from our local library! She and I (along with Taheerah) organized the biggestfarewell blog hop for Cath last November. It's been such a pleasure to know this talented lady! Keren's style is creative, beautiful and eclectic. One of her many talents is stitching and sewing with cards! Here's Keren....

Keren:

I’m a work from home girl who is very lucky
to be working nearly fulltime in the UK craft industry. I work for several
magazines on a freelance basis & teach and demonstrate for a couple of
retailers/manufacturers.

"Before I stitch, I tend to draw a faint
line, then prick with a pricking tool, using some foam underneath

I stamped the butterfly part, embossed in
clear & used some markers, watered down to give a watercolour look.

For embellishing the butterflies, I added
vellum trimmed to a similar shape & added buttons, adhesive stones &
for the yellow butterfly, added a small circle with lots of French knots on it.

I trimmed a slither of cardstock to create
the curved white ‘string’."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wow....isn't Keren's card stunning? I know that you will be so inspired to add stitching to your designs after seeing Keren's project today. And lucky for us, Keren has another project to share with us here on the 11th! So please watch out for Part 2!

How to Play

This monthly card-making challenge blog will run for 18 days and there will be a SPOTLIGHT feature of Top 10 Favorites on the 25th. Any style and levels are most welcome!

Goals:

1. to foster the love of stamping/card making among the on line community

2. to grow as a stamper/card-maker regardless of level and experience

3. to make new friends and encourage the camaraderie amongst the participants/blog followers.

You are encouraged to link up as many as projects as you like. Cards with paper, stamps and inks involved are welcome! If the linked project is not related to the challenge, it will be deleted. Don't have a blog? No problem! Any link (Flickr, FB page, Splitcoaststampers, Pinterest...) is welcome!

The Top 5 selection criteria will be based on: 1. Originality (30%)2. Execution (30%)3. Craftsmanship (20%)4. Presentation (10%) 5. Wow factor (10%)Among the Top 10 Fav, there will be a random draw for a lucky (and talented) winner who will then receive the top prize. In order to qualify for the top prize, your project has to be NEW (not linking back to a previously made project). You are welcome to combine other challenges, please limit to your total number of challenges no more than 4.

Copyright

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Virginia's View Challenge with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank you.